New Data Shows US Food Waste Is Getting Worse

The amount of uneaten food produced in the US is climbing, generating significant waste and greenhouse gas emissions, according to new data from ReFED, a national nonprofit. The US produced 91 million tons of surplus food in 2021, a 4.8% increase over 2016. Uneaten food represented about 38% of the total food supply in 2021, valued at roughly $444 billion, according to the organization. On a per-person basis, this equates to about 548 pounds of extra food, a 1.9% increase since 2016.

In 2021, the latest year for which ReFED’s food waste data is available, 33.8 million people lived in food-insecure households in the US, according to the US Department of Agriculture, including 5 million children. Still, less than 2% of the excess food was donated, ReFED reported. While 18% was composted and nearly 9% recycled into animal feed, about 36% of the surplus food went to landfills.